Your Clever Gut

Begin to transform your health in as little as a week by looking after your gut bacteria, says bestselling author Dr Michael Mosley.

- Karen Fittall

Best known for the 5:2 diet and his TV show, Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, Dr Michael Mosley has now turned his attention to the gut.

“Your gut contains millions of neurons and about a kilogram of bacteria that send signals to your brain and affect your weight, your health and even your mood,” says Mosley.

In fact, he says, when your gut bacteria, or microbiome, are in good shape, willpower becomes redundant because ’good’ bacteria crave ’good’ foods.

“Your gut bacteria also affect your food choices, so look after them and you’ll find it easier to stick to a healthy diet.” Mosley’s book The Clever Guts Diet (Simon & Schuster, $29.99), explains how to create a healthy gut, but here are a handful of things he wants you to know now.

1 THINK 'MORE FIBRE, LESS SUGAR'.

“Before I put anything in my mouth these days, I always ask ’What will my gut bacteria think of this?’,” says Mosley. “And in general, it’s a universal truth that healthy gut bacteria, which are the type you’re trying to encourage, love fibre and don’t respond well to sugar.”